Utility cabinet



"' INVENTOR.

Pufb IV. Crag BYfl'b R. M. CRAIG UTILITY CABINET Filed Feb. 25, 1952 Dec. 21, 1954 gw m g After/7g United States Patent UTILITY CABINET Ruth M. Craig, Brea, Calif.

Application February 25, 1952, Serial No. 273,226

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-229) This invention has to do with a utility cabinet, and it is a general object of the invention to provide a simple, practical improved cabinet applicable to a wall, or the like, and adapted to carry cleaning equipment and more particularly a brush and a container of cleaning material.

Fixtures common to bathrooms require regular cleaning, and for this purpose it is common to employ a cleaning or scrubbing brush and suitable cleaning material. The usual brush employed for this type of service has a head of fibres or bristles, a shank carrying the head and a handle on the brush, and the unit thus formed is of substantial bulk and length. The cleaning material commonly employed is generally the powdered or granular form and is dispensed from a suitable container, usually a can or possibly a bottle. The cleaning equipment referred to is generally effective and desirable to use. However, following use, the brush being wet presents a diflicult storage problem, and in many instances the cleaning equipment referred to, desired to be main tained accessible ready for use, is such that it is preferably kept out of sight.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a utility or storage cabinet, preferably a cabinet to be inserted or recessed into a wall, and which is of simple, compact, conventional form and which is such that it can be incorporated in a wall without being unsightly or such as to interfere with the normal trim or decoration present in the room.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the general character referred to which is of simple inexpensive construction and which is such that it can be easily and conveniently applied to or incorporated into a wall without exercise of any great care or skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the general character referred to which is of plain and simple construction and such that it can be easily and conveniently maintained clean and in a sanitary condition.

The structure provided by this invention is adapted to be applied to or incorporated in a usual wall, and in its preferred form it is characterized by a box-like body open at the front. The body is formed by a suitable assembly of walls and has a flange at its forward open end. The body is adapted to be inserted in an opening established or formed in a wall so that the flange of the body seats against the front of the wall. A case is provided at the front of the body and is preferably a simple rectangular structure or unit that overlies the flange of the body and projects beyond the flange of the body. The case is preferably secured to the wall and positively retains the case in the wall and against displacement. A closure is provided for the body and is preferably a simple door hinged to the body provided with a handle and normally held closed by a releasable latch or fastener. Fittings are provided in the body and preferably include a hook, a receptacle, and a rack. The hook is carried by a wall of the body and may be a simple elongate element, projecting from the wall and somewhat upward, and is preferably located in the upper portion of the body. The receptacle is located in the lower portion of the body and in an upwardly opening basin preferably formed with a cup-shaped bottom provided with a depending drain spout. A back wall projects up from the bottom and is of substantial height and a front wall projects up from the bottom and is of limited height. Side walls connect the front and back walls. A cleaning brush with an eye at the handle end is accommodated by the hook and receptacle, the eye of the brush being engaged with the "ice hook while the head of the brush is in or immediately over the receptacle, it being preferred that the back of the receptacle form a shield behind the head of the brush. The spout of the receptacle is adapted to connect with the drain pipe in the wall or building construction. The rack in the body is preferably in one corner thereof adjacent the rear or back of the body and is located intermediate the top and the bottom of the body. The rack is adapted to carry or support the container of cleaning material, adjacent one side of the body and clear of the brush accommodated by the hook and receptacle. In a preferred form the rack is a simple curved or arcuate rod-like element with its ends fixed or anchored to adjacent walls of the body. The receptacle rests on the bottom of the body and is readily detachable from the body so that it can be effectively and conveniently cleaned, and when the receptacle is removed from the body the entire interior of the body including the rack presents a structure that can be very easily and quickly cleaned with the result that the structure as a whole can be readily maintained in a clean sanitary condition.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the cabinet provided by the present invention, showing incorporated in a wall and with the closure of the cabinet open and with a brush and a container of cleaning material located in the cabinet. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical detailed sectional view of the structure, being a view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1 showing the structure with the brush and container and with the closure in the closed position, and Fig. 3 is a plan section, taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 2.

The cabinet of the present invention is intended to be applied to or incorporated in a wall, and in the drawings I have indicated a wall W of typical construction. A wall such as I refer to, in practice, includes suitable framing, made up of studs, and the framing carries lathing 10, or the like, which carries a facing 11 of plaster, or the like. In the drawings the framing is shown as including what may be termed headers 12, and an opening 13 is provided in the wall to accommodate the cabinet provided by the present invention. It is to be understood that the opening 13 may, if desired, be formed or provided in the wall W as the wall is constructed, or it may be cut into a preformed wall as circumstances require. The opening 13 is established in a preformed wall. It is desirable that it be located so that it occurs between adjacent studs of the wall.

The cabinet provided by the invention includes, generally, a body A, a case B, a closure C, and fittings in the body including a hook D, a receptacle E, and a rack F.

The body A is preferably a simple box-like unit, rectangular in plan configuration and open at the front. In the case illustrated, the cabinet is a rigid unitary element formed of sheet metal, or the like, and involves or includes a plurality of walls. The particular body illustrated involves atop wall 20, a bottom wall 21, a back wall 22, and side walls 23. The several walls of the body are preferably flat plain parts and are imperforate except in the case of the bottom wall 22 which is provided with an opening or aperture 25.

The body includes, in addition to the walls above referred to, a flange 26 which projects outwardly or away from the body at its forward end, and in practice preferably projects from the several walls occurring at the front of the body, that is, from the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side walls of the body. The flange or flange parts 26, as shown in the drawings, serve to locate or stop the body in the wall and when the body is in position the flange thereof seals against the face 11 of the wall adjacent the opening 13.

In the preferred form of the invention, an upwardly projecting eye 30 of limited extent projects upwardly from the bottom 21 of the body at the front of the body or where the flange 26 joins the bottom 21.

The case B is applied to the front of the body and is or preferably a simple rectangular unit or structure which, when in place, overlies the flange 26 and projects outwardly beyond the flange 26 to overlie the face of the wall 11 and form a suitable trim. The case preferably defines an opening 31 corresponding in size and shape with the forward open end of the body A formed by the walls of the body. In practice, the case can be secured to the wall in any suitable manner or by any suitable means. In the drawings, the case is shown secured in place by suitable fasteners 33.

The closure C is preferably a simple door, and in a typical case it can be secured to one side of the case B by a hinge 40 and its other side can be releasably retained in connection with the other side of the case by a suitable releasable fastener 41. In practice, the fastener 41 can be any suitable form of latch or detent fastener as desired. In the case illustrated, the door or closure C is shown provided with a suitable handle 43, and the case and door are shown in a form suitable for construction or formation of wood, or the like. It is to be understood that if these parts are provided or formed of metal, or other material, they may be modified as to form or construction to suit the material employed.

The hookD provided by the invention is carried by and projects from one of the walls of the body A. In the drawings, the hook D is shown as a simple elongate rodlike part carried by the back wall 22 of the body to project forwardly therefrom. When a simple, straight rod-like hook is employed, it is preferably pitched or inclined to extend upwardly, as well as forwardly, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In accordance with the invention, the hook D is preferably fixed or anchored to the supporting wall of the body and it will be apparent that in practice any suitable anchoring means may be employed. For instance, the hook may be formed of metal when the wall of the body is metal and may be welded thereto or, as shown in the drawings, it may be clamped thereto by a threaded construction characterized by one or more nuts 50. In accordance with the invention, the hook D is located in the upper portion of the body and is located closer to one side wall 23 of the body than to the other. This disposition of the hook is clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings.

The receptacle E, as provided by the invention, is an upwardly opening facing or basin-like unit and in its preferred form itis detachable or separable from the body A. The particular receptacle illustrated is of a form or construction making it practical for construction out of material that can be readily mounted or cast. The particular receptacle illustrated has a cup-shaped or centrally depressed bottom 55 with a drain spout 56 in communication therewith and projecting downwardly therefrom. A back or rear wall 57 projects upwardly from the bottom 55 and is of substantial height. A forward wall 58 projects upwardly from the bottom and is of limited height, it being preferred in practice that the height of the rear wall should exceed that of the front wall by many times. The receptacle has side walls 59 projecting upwardly from the bottom 55 and extending between the rear and forward walls 57 and 58. In the particular case illustrated, the sides 59 have inclined or diagonally disposed upper edges 60, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In accordance with the invention, the receptacle above described corresponds in plan configuration with the body A and is proportioned relative to the body so that it can be conveniently placed or inserted in the body to engage it behind the eye 30 with the rear wall 57, adjacent or bearing against the back Wall 22 of the body, while the side walls 59 of the receptacle are adjacent or bear against the side walls 23 of the body. It is preferred that a supporting flange 61 be provided at the bottom of the receptacle to rest upon the bottom 21 of the body. It will be observed particularly from Fig. 2 of the drawings that the opening 23 in the bottom 21 of the body is so located as to accommodate the depending drain spout 56 so that when the receptacle E is in place the spout 56 depends below the body A.

It is contemplated that the drain spout 56 be provided to make connection with or to be in communicationwith a drain pipe P which may be incorporated in or applied to the wall W in a manner such as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The hook D and receptacle E are provided to accommodate a brush X, such as is illustrated in Fig. 1. The

particular brush shown has a head 70 of bristles, or the like, carried .by a shank 71 provided with a handle 72.

At the end of the handle remote from the shank there is an eye 73. The hook D isprovided to accommodate the eye 73 of the brush, or a like hanger or mounting provided on the brush, and when the brush is applied to the hook it depends in the body A with the head 70 of the brush immediately above or in the receptacle E. By providing the receptacle with a tall back and a short front and with sides connecting the back and the front, as hereinabove described, the brush can be readily introduced into the cabinet or into the body of the cabinet so that the eye 73 is applied to the hook causing the brush to be supported so that its head, which may be wet, is shielded by the walls of the receptacle E and is kept away from contact with the walls or parts of the body. Any drainage from the head of the brush is caught by the receptacle, and particularly by the cup-like bottom of the receptacle, and may find its way out of the structure through the drain spout 56.

The rack F is preferably located in the body A intermediate the top and bottom of the body and is located between or ,in the corner formed by the back 22 of the body and the wall 23 of the body farthest removed from the hook D. In the case illustrated, the rack F is located to occur above the uppermost part of the receptacle E and at a point well below the top 20 of the body. In practice, the rack may be of suitable shelf-like construction, or as shown in the drawings it may be formed of a simple, plain, smooth curved or arcuate rod having its ends anchored to the walls of the. body to define the corner of the body in which the rack is located. If the body walls are metal and the rack-forming rod is metal, these parts can be secured by welding, or the like, or as shown in the drawings they can be secured together by threaded connections characterized by nuts 75, or the like.

The rack F is intended as a shelf-like support for a container Y of cleaning material, or the like, and as shown in Fig. 1 the rack, being located relative to the hook, as hereinabove described, supports the container Y adjacent or beside the handle of the brush so that both the brush and the container are readily accessible. Being arranged adjacent each other in the manner described, the brush and container are in a neat compact arrangement, making it possible to form the cabipet so that it is compact and is of simple inexpensive orm.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the cabinet provided by the invention can be of simple, inexpensive, plain construction, that it can be easily and conveniently applied to or incorporated in a wall, that it is neat and trim in appearance, and it is such that it can be easily and conveniently maintained clean and in a highly sanitary condition.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cabinet applicable to a wall, including a vertically disposed box-like body open at the front and having a flange at its front engageable with the front face of the wall whereby the body is supported by the wall to project rearward from the said face of the wall, the body having a back and side walls, a case applicable to the front of the wall and over the flange to enclose it, a closure carried by the case and adapted when in a closed position to close the front of the body, a hook in the, upper portion of the body adapted to carry a brush, a unitary receptacle releasably supported in the lower portion of the body adapted to catch drippings from a brush on the hook, and a bracket in the body above the receptacle and adapted to carry a container, the hook being closer to one side wall than-the other and the bracket being in the corner formed betweenthe back and said other side wall of the body.

2. A cabinet applicable to a wall, including a vertically disposed box-like body openat the front and having a flange at its front engageable with the front face of the wall whereby the body is supported by the wall to project rearward from the said face of the wall, .a case applicable to the front of the wall and'over the flange to cover it, a closure carried by the case and adapted when in a closed position to close the front of the body, a hook in the upper portion of the body adapted to carry a brush, a unitary receptacle releasably supported in the lower portion of the body adapted to catch drippings from a brush on the hook, and a bracket in the body above the receptacle and adapted to carry a container, the receptacle having a depending drain spout depending from within the confines of the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 559,744 Price May 5, 1896 657,930 Feldkircher Sept. 18, 1900 Number 6 Name Date Farmer Dec. 14, 1909 Harrison Apr. 16, 1912 1933 Dumleavy May 28, 1946 27, 1947 Hurley Jan. 30, 1951 

